Maharashtra’s first ‘drive-in’ vaccination centre starts giving jabs

Mumbai : The Brihan Mumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC) on Tuesday launched Maharashtra’s first ‘drive-in’ vaccination centre at the multi-storey Kohinoor Parking Lot near the Shivaji Park in Dadar.The drive-in facility is for senior citizens, specially-abled, expectant mothers and other citizens who are not able to wait in queues at vaccination centres, said a civic official.The facility has a capacity to give the jabs to around 5,000 people per day in seven booths, of which two have are kept aside for the drive-ins, and has proved to be an instant hit.More than 200 people drove down to the drive-in vaccination centre on Tuesday, got their jabs, and waited the mandatory 30 minutes in their vehicles before driving out.”Drive In facility for 45+ specially-abled. BMC G-North Ward has started a new vaccination centre at Kohinoor Parking Lot for citizens coming for their 2nd dose of Covid vaccine,” the BMC said in a statement.Two local BMC Corporators Vishakha Raut and Preeti Patankar, both of the ruling Shiv Sena, had demanded such a facility for the people in both their wards – Shivaji Park and Dadar – after the BMC decided to start vaccination centres in each corporators’ ward for public convenience.For the ongoing vaccination, those using it would pay the regular parking charges of Rs 60/hour but avail a hassle-free jab in the safety and comfort of their own vehicles as per the Covid-19 protocols, said the official.Interestingly, last year, the Kohinoor Parking Lot was utilised for conducting mass RT-PCR tests and proved immensely popular as it afforded physical distancing, adequate ventilation and accommodate a large number of people simultaneously.